3 Tips To Feeling Festive On Your First Christmas Abroad
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For many, the very thought of being anywhere else but home for Christmas is laughable - be that with your immediate family, or the long trip home to be with parents or grandparents for what has always been considered a family holiday. Christmas traditions by their very nature are a celebration of familiarity, and so it would make sense to celebrate them in the place most familiar to us - the family home.
Why then is it that this year, ABTA foresee a record 3.5 million Brits packing their bags instead of taking a seat by the Christmas fire? We could argue the pop psychology all day, but the fact is more and more people a year are opening up to the possibilities of getting an all over tan while waiting for the sprouts to boil. But what if this is going to be your first Christmas abroad, for a holiday or perhaps work or relocation? I've taken the liberty of asking around our well traveled and experienced office to ask what tips and tricks they can offer to help you get in the mood when you're listening to 'White Christmas' but it's 32 degrees outside.
1. Embrace the weather!
For a lot of people, the idea of sunny weather at Christmas sounds alien, if not just down right wrong. They can't help it- the media has been shoving the idea of a white Christmas in music, film and literature down our throats for as long as any of us can remember. However, in the UK, how often does it end up the case that Christmas day ends up overcast, foggy, or just a full on downpour? And how is that different to any other day in the winter months? We say EMBRACE THE WEATHER!
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If you want a properly white Christmas, fly to Iceland to get one! Fancy something a little warmer? Sit on your balcony in Portugal, sip on that cocktail and wonder to yourself why on earth you forced your family into all those freezing cold Christmas morning walks around the frozen lake with a Tesco trolley jutting out of the middle.
2. Embrace the culture!
No matter what time of the year, one of the best things to do whilst on holiday is to soak in as much of the local culture as possible. This is still true, if not more so, at Christmas time. From Christmas day BBQs in Australia to the visit of Krampus in Austria, Christmas can be a completely different affair from one international border to the next. So go for it!
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We guarantee you'll remember the Christmas you spent eating deep fried Emperor Moths in South Africa much more fondly than the years previous where the highlight of the day was when 'that' Uncle finally drank himself into a stupor.
3. Embrace your company!
We all know the famous saying - you can't pick your family. Well the really good thing about holidays, is that you absolutely can pick who to take along with you!
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It's true that Christmas is a time to be thankful for those around - But we'd much rather be thankful for their help in taking on a paella dish that serves 4, than that them volunteering to drive the In laws back home.
We hope you enjoy your first holiday abroad - If you're reading this and thinking 'Damn, I've missed a trick here' - Fear not! Head to our booking pages, or give the office a ring on 01446 776212, and we can help you forget about a white Christmas, and instead have a nice Christmas!
